


Float

by SangriaKisses



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Festivals, Fluff, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24811138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SangriaKisses/pseuds/SangriaKisses
Summary: The warm weather heralded the coming of Summer and the Fire Nation's annual festival.  The season brought along with it hope and an opportunity for wishes to come true.
Relationships: Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	Float

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Summer (at least in my corner of the world) my Little Sparks! Enjoy some cute, fluffy stuff. I finished LOK but haven’t read the comics just an FYI. Okay, happy reading!

“Should we eat? Or play games? Maybe go watch a show first? There’s so much to do!” Sokka began to panic trying to figure out the best plan to fully enjoy all the activities that the festival had to offer.

“Calm down Sokka, we’ll see everything. Let’s get something to eat first.” Zuko directed. He was excited to have everyone back together again and that he could finally have some time off from his Fire Lord duties. 

“Lord Zuko please excuse us but we have a few diplomats that have been waiting to meet you.”

Zuko turned to glare at his advisers. “I thought that I explained that I would be spending the festival with my friends and not conducting any business.” He felt Mai’s hand grip his a little tighter. 

“We understand sire but they are being very insistent. They came tonight specifically to meet you. It should not take more than a few minutes.” 

Zuko wanted so much to ignore the request and ignore his responsibilities, but that wasn’t what someone in his position did. “Fine.” 

He turned to look at his friends, their disappointment clear but most obvious in Mai’s eyes. 

“Mai I’m-”

She gave his hand a squeeze before releasing it. “It’s okay Zuko, come find us when you’re done okay?” She assured him, supporting him as she’d always done. The look on her face remained impassive but the sadness was clear.

Sokka threw an arm around her. “Ya buddy, we’ll take care of Mai.”

“Oh joy.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He promised following his advisers. 

They watched their friend become swallowed by the crowd. Katara placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Come on Mai, let’s have some fun.” 

Every year the Fire Nation held their annual Festival of the Eternal Sun to celebrate the Summer Solstice. It featured a variety of food, games, shows, and displays. It was an opportunity for the Fire Nation to showcase its finest and to celebrate. This year they had all looked forward to spending it together. Mai even more so about actually having some time with her boyfriend at such a beloved event. 

Mai had worn her finest clothes. Expensive deep red robes with gold embroidering. Jeweled adornments crowned her head. Her vestments matched Zuko’s. He was quite regal and handsome in his own brightly colored intricate robes. Together they looked like the image of royalty and pride, a couple that could one day lead the Fire Nation together. She relished in being at his side. The Fire Lord and his Fire Lady. 

The evening had started off well enough. Zuko had given a speech to start the festival, opening it with a large fireworks display. The Fire Nation always came alive at this time but especially now. There felt like so much more to celebrate. The Summer season brought along with it hope and new beginnings. 

It was a warm night heralding the new season. People had filled the streets to peruse various shops and stalls. The air was light and smelled sweet from all the confections being sold. Mai had very little happy memories from her childhood but the festival was one that she cherished. Her family for all its faults and dysfunction would be swept up, her along with it. It was their first festival together and she wanted so much to create new memories with her Prince. 

*

**

“Come on Mai, let’s go get a good spot for the lantern release. I know Zuko probably has to give some big speech so we can all do this together.” Ty Lee suggested knowing how disappointed her friend was that Zuko hadn’t returned and the festival was almost over. 

“Thank you, I need to pick something up for Tom-Tom but I will meet you there.” She assured them running off before they could protest. 

Mai could admit that she had enjoyed her time with the Gaang. They were friendly and welcoming and she was thankful that they were in hers and Zuko’s lives. They tried to distract her with food and games and their trademark antics but it wasn’t the same. Every time she saw a flash of dark hair and red a spark would flare inside her hoping that it was him. Each time she was disappointed. She just needed some space alone. 

She arrived at a park that was outside of where the festival was taking place. It was empty and quiet as most people had flooded the city streets for the festivities. Here she had a perfect view of the night sky. She had her lantern ready but the tradition felt hollow whereas this morning she couldn’t wait to see it take flight. 

“Mai.”

Looking up she was surprised to see Zuko standing there breathing heavily as though he had run. “Zuko? What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been looking for you.”

“Isn’t the lantern release about to start?” It was the most anticipated event of the evening and she knew that he was supposed to release the first one. 

“I got Aang to cover me. Mai, I’m so sorry.” It felt foolish apologizing yet again but she deserved an apology and so much more. 

“It’s okay Zuko.”

“No, it’s not. It’s not okay that I keep having to cancel plans, or attend meetings instead of seeing you. It’s not okay that I had to spend most of the festival shaking hands and meeting people rather than spending it with you and our friends. None of this is okay.”

Her poor Zuko was shouldering so much. It was his festival too and it wasn’t fair that he had to miss it. Mai placed her hands on his shoulders forcing his gaze down to her. “Zuko, breathe.”

She waited till he took a deep breath in before continuing. “We both knew that being the Fire Lord wasn’t going to be easy but I’m still here. I love you and it’s going to take more than a few canceled dates for me to let you go. Please don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re doing an incredible job. Just schedule time for me and keep sending fruit tarts. I was disappointed but you’re here now, that’s what matters.” She assured him with a smile as her fingers traced the lines of his jaw. 

People were so quick to write her off as being emotionless but they had both grown. Now they were better able to feel and express a range of emotions beyond disdain or anger. He could see the sincerity of her words in her eyes. 

“Please don’t give up on me.” He begged holding onto her tightly. 

“I never will.” She promised with a kiss. 

They looked up seeing a single lantern climbing up towards the sky. 

“Come on, we should light our lantern.” 

As was tradition they would each attach a single wish and float their lanterns to the sky. 

“What could the Fire Lord wish for?” Mai asked curiously as he tied his wish to the lantern.

He smiled to himself, his wishes now were so different from when he was a young broken child. His wishes then had been selfish related to becoming stronger and powerful. 

“Peace, the health and safety of the people that I love. What about you?”

“Every year I wish for the same thing. To be with you.” She admitted her eyes sparkling under the moonlight. It was the one thing that her obedience towards her parents couldn’t give her. 

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted, even when we were younger. This, us, you and me against the world.” She admitted attaching her own wish before her eyes met his. 

“And you my Prince have made that wish come true.”

“Mai…” He kissed her and he felt the warmth grow within him as more lanterns filled the sky. The hopes and wishes of his people, and his friends rising above them. Tiny flames protecting their dreams. 

Mai held the lantern as Zuko created a small flame in his palm, the heat causing it to float. They watched as their wishes joined together with all the rest filling the dark sky. 

Mai rested her head against his heart, sinking into his chest. When they were together she felt as free as the lanterns above. She looked up seeing hope and determination in his eyes. A kind of peace present in them that had been so lost before. 

Mai held tightly onto him before she sent one final silent prayer above. ‘I wish that no matter what happens, Zuko and I will always be together, just like this.’ 

They held each other close as the lanterns illuminated the night sky carrying their wishes to the stars.

**Flashforward**

“Okay my Little Ember, time to attach your wish to the lantern.” Zuko held onto the lantern while Mai helped their daughter attach her wish. 

She was excited that morning, her barely legible scrawl filling the tiny paper. 

“Help mommy hold it.” Izumi held on tightly enchanted when a flame appeared in her dad’s hand. Utter amazement crossed her face when the lantern began to lift into the sky. The small family watched as the evening sky filled with more and more lights. 

“So what did you wish for baby?” Mai asked her daughter curiously. She’d been very adamant about not letting her see what she wrote.

Izumi just shook her head. “I can’t tell you mommy, or it might not come true.”

Mai just laughed, their daughter was just as stubborn as them. “Can you tell daddy? He’s actually the best at making wishes come true.” Mai smiled thinking about their first festival so many years ago. Zuko's eyes met hers love affection shining through. 

“Really? Okay, daddy come here.” Zuko leaned down so that she could whisper her wish into his ear. A smile crossed his face before he hugged his daughter tight.

“I’ll see what I can do my little one.”

The family enjoyed the final moments of the festival together wanting their daughter to have a multitude of happy memories. Once they were home she fell fast asleep clutching a giant dragon. It came from a game stall that had an owner who was all too joyful at the Fire Lord’s inability to win the toy. It took at least 10 attempts and Mai finally intervening to win. 

Mai and Zuko fell into bed exhausted and thankful for another successful festival. 

He turned to place an affectionate kiss on her lips memories of this same event years ago playing through his head.

“I love you.”

She smiled at him, her fingers tracing over his face. They’d both grown up and experienced a lifetime together and she loved him more now than she ever had before. 

“So what did Izumi wish for?” A smirk crossed his lips before they descended along her throat, his hand fluttering over her stomach.

“Well my love, she wished for a sibling.”

Mai bit her lip, her eyes sparkling. “Is that right?”

He nodded his teeth grazing over her collarbone her own hands traveling beneath his robes. 

“Time to make some wishes come true.”

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I want more happy, slice of life Zuko family stories… also like don’t you think that a lantern release would just make sense? Haha thanks for reading! Summer looks a little different this year (keeping fighting the good fight) but I hope that you have a wonderful Summer (or possibly Winter) Love you!


End file.
